


dissolve

by peachfuzz (johniaurens)



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: 11x11, Angst, M/M, Unrequited Love, i guess, not very happy shrugs, reaction fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-16
Updated: 2016-01-16
Packaged: 2018-05-14 05:41:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5731489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johniaurens/pseuds/peachfuzz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Morgan looks openly surprised at the sight of Spencer, shivering and squinting at him on his doorstep.<br/>'Hey', he offers, lamely, 'do you think I could still take you up on that offer?'"</p><p>Reaction fic to 11x11. takes place right after the episode ends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	dissolve

**Author's Note:**

> plot is Optional

Spencer sits in that swing for a very long time. He doesn't get up until he almost falls asleep sitting up and by then the last bus has already gone and he doesn't even have his wallet with him. So. He returns to Morgan's house.

He isn't scared but he is a little worried and there's a knot in his stomach he's not quite sure he can open by himself, and the lump in his throat that's been there all night still hasn't moved. Still hasn't dissolved. There are chain marks on his cheek from where he was leaning against the swing chain, and he feels disheveled, rumpled, like his clothes and hair don't quite fit him right anymore. 

Morgan opens the door. He's in a powder blue t-shit Spencer had no idea he even owned and it's clear that he was just about to go to bed himself. He looks openly surprised at the sight of Spencer, shivering and squinting at him on his doorstep at 11 pm.  
"Hey", he offers, lamely, "do you think I could still take you up on that offer?". Morgan's eyebrows shoot up. It's clear that he's suspicious; measuring the length of him, his wrinkled clothes, his squinty eyes, his messy hair and the red chain print on his right cheek. Spencer's expecting him to say something. Ask about it. Any of it.  
"yeah, kid, of course", he says, instead, steps back into the house to let him in. He steps into the house in one big, grateful step.  
"I'm sorry", Spencer says, immediately. once again, Morgan's eyebrows shoot up on his face. It's almost comical.  
"For what?", he asks, baffled, like he genuinely has no idea what he could be apologizing for - like it's perfectly acceptable for him to just show up out of the blue at his house in the middle of the night.  
"For- for disturbing you? I mean, it's clear that you were just about to go to sleep - and by the way Savannah hasn't come to see who's at the door yet I'm assuming that she's already in bed, I didn't wake her up, did I? Oh god-" he knows he's rambling, but it feels so weird, like he's interrupting something intimate, like he's a stranger, an annoyance, in front of _Derek_ of all people, and Morgan looks amused at first, then kind of sad.  
"Hey, hey- slow down kid, okay? You're not -- _disturbing_ me, you're not some inconvenience, you're always welcome here, you know that, right?", he stops him in the middle of the sentence, grabbing him by the shoulders. And it's- it's _good_ , in a way it never is with anyone else in the entire world, the way touching Morgan has never felt the same as touching anyone else. It makes him feel safe. Grounded. All the way there. He inhales sharply, leans into it. Like he's drowning. Like he's trying very hard not to cry.

It surprises Morgan. The look on his face changes for a split-second before he takes control of himself again.  
"And besides", he continues, like nothing happened, "Savannah took Garcia home. She's staying with her. You're not disturbing her. You're not disturbing me, kid".  
And it's - he wishes that didn't make him feel so many different emotions, every one of them wrong somehow, every one of them leaving him dirty and guilty of something too terrible for him to say out loud, but he knows that Morgan doesn't sleep well alone and maybe he'll let him sleep next to him. The thought makes him feel that much more ashamed. 

Morgan walks him into the guest bedroom, hands him one of his own shirts to sleep in, finds one of the unopened toothbrushes he keeps in his bathroom. Asks him if he wants something to eat. Pretends to be surprised when Spencer declines politely. 

Spencer brushes his teeth. Puts on the shirt. Leaves the night light on, as always. 

And if the door creaks half past one am and Derek climbs into the bed with him, soft and vulnerable, well - no one has to know. He just wished it didn't make him feel so guilty.


End file.
